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BAUSCH + LOMB REPORTS MORE THAN TWO MILLION USED CONTACT LENS MATERIALS RECYCLED THROUGH ONE BY ONE PROGRAM, SAVES MORE THAN 14,000 POUNDS OF WASTE
BRIDGEWATER, N.J. – April 19, 2018 – Bausch + Lomb, a leading global eye health company, announced today that its ONE by ONE Recycling Program, the first contact lens recycling program of its kind, has recycled nearly 2.5 million used contact lenses, blister packs and top foil since launch, saving more than 14,000 pounds of waste—about the weight of a small aircraft.1 This program, made possible through a collaboration with TerraCycle®, a world leader in the collection and repurposing of hard-to-recycle post-consumer waste, is offered free of charge to eye care professionals nationwide and their patients.
“As we celebrate Earth Day under the aptly named theme of ‘End Plastic Pollution’, we are proud to offer eye care professionals and their patients the opportunity to recycle their used contact lens materials for the second consecutive year through our ONE by ONE recycling program,” said John Ferris, general manager, U.S. Vision Care, Bausch + Lomb. “Before this program was established, we regularly heard from customers who were concerned of the environmental impact of contact lenses, particularly from the use of daily disposables. Now, with this initiative, we are reducing the landfill waste associated with these materials. It’s a program we’re extremely proud of and we look forward to our continued partnership with TerraCycle.”
Available to optometry practices and their patients across the U.S., the Bausch + Lomb ONE by ONE Recycling Program recycles used contact lens materials into post-consumer products. The program works by providing participating practices with large recycling bins to collect used contact lenses, blister packs and top foil. Once the bins are full, a free shipping label can be printed from www.BauschRecycles.com, and the used materials can be mailed to TerraCycle for recycling. For every qualifying shipment of 2 pounds or more, a $1-per-pound donation will be made to Optometry Giving Sight, the only global fundraising initiative that specifically targets the prevention of blindness and impaired vision by providing eye exams and glasses to those in need. To date, the program has raised more than $14,000.
“I am proud to participate in the Bausch + Lomb ONE by ONE Recycling Program, which allows my patients the opportunity to be environmentally responsible in a way that they may have been unaware of previously,” said Gina Wesley, O.D., from Complete Eye Care in Medina, MN. “I recognize the value of this important initiative, not only as an eye care provider, but for my patients, as an increasing number of them prefer the convenience of daily disposable contact lenses, such as Biotrue ONEday® daily disposable lenses, but not the added waste they create.”
Patients can also participate directly by visiting the program’s website and printing a complimentary mailing label. To learn more about the Bausch + Lomb ONE by ONE Recycling Program, how to register for the program and to print free shipping labels, visit www.BauschRecycles.com.
About Optometry Giving Sight
More than 600 million people worldwide are blind or vision impaired because they cannot access eye exams and correction. Optometry Giving Sight (GivingSight.org) is the only global fundraising initiative that specifically targets uncorrected refractive error, funding projects that help train local professionals, establish sustainable vision centers and deliver eye care where it’s needed most.
About TerraCycle
Founded in 2001, TerraCycle, Inc., a world leader in the collection and repurposing of hard-to-recycle post-consumer waste, ranging from used chip bags to coffee capsules to cigarette butts. The waste is collected through free, national, brand-funded recycling programs, as well as various consumer and government-funded models. The collected waste is reused, upcycled or recycled into a variety of affordable, sustainable consumer products and industrial applications. Each year, across 20 countries, TerraCycle collects and repurposes billions of pieces of waste, donating millions of dollars to schools and charities in the process. To learn more about TerraCycle, please visit www.terracycle.com
About Bausch + Lomb
Bausch + Lomb, a Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. company, is a leading global eye health organization that is solely focused on protecting, enhancing and restoring people’s eyesight. Our core businesses include over-the-counter supplements, eye care products, ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, contact lenses, lens care products, ophthalmic surgical devices and instruments. Bausch + Lomb develops, manufactures and markets one of the most comprehensive product portfolios in the industry, which is available in more than 100 countries.
References
1. Based on public data available on the Leonardo AW139 model helicopter, http://www.leonardocompany.com/en/-/aw139
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Biotrue is a trademark of Bausch & Lomb Incorporated or its affiliates. TerraCycle is a trademark of TerraCycle Inc. All other product/brand names and/or logos are trademarks of the respective owners.
© 2018 Bausch & Lomb Incorporated.
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